Internal-combustion engine and working same



March 5, 1929. H, JUNKERS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND WORKING SAME Filed March 1924 'pro er.

-met od of Working such motors and the PM... M... 5,1929.

nueonnwms, or

PATENT OFFICE.

emu, emurr.

INTERNAL-OOIBUS'I'ION mom AID wonmo' sum.

Application fled larch 6, 18%,.8erlal 10.

My invention refers to internal combustion engines and more especially tothe kind of en,- gines known under-the name of engines with a free-flying piston, that is a piston which is not connected with the crank shaft by aconnecting rod, so as to bereturned by fly-wheel action or the like, but is counteracted for instance by a piston coupled with it and which is arranged for compressing air, the pressure thus created serving for returning the piston My invention comprises a novel means for carrying this method-into efiect.

As is well known to thoseskilled in the art, the internal combustion motors in which the fuel is introduced near the end of the com pression stroke into the cylinder charge which had before been highly compressed and heated, so that the fuel is inflammated in contact with this charge, have a high thermic efliciency. On the other hand, in consequence of the high tem eratures and pressure, the cylinder walls 0 such motors are subjected to great wear and the gearing being utilized only imperfectly has an unfavorable mechanical efliciency, while the costs of keep up are very high.

According to m invention, the method above described, wherein the preferably liquid fuel is in'ected into highly com ressed air, is carrie out in an engine wit freeflying piston of the kind mentioned at the beginning. According to my invention, the air charged into the cylinder is compressed until the i ition temperature is reached, the working piston being moved inwards by aid of an accumulator of energy which is charged during the working strokes of the motor. Apparently, in view of the fact that the working strokes of an engine of this type are not absolutely uniform it had to be expected that the su pl 0 ,fuel required for this method, amfwhich must be regulated with i great accuracy with reference to the path of the, piston, would not'be attainable. Experience has shown that, contrary to expectations, the working of'an engine according to the present invention takes place with entraordinary perfection. -Obv1ously, this is due to the fact that it is just the lack of a rigid limitation of the stroke which allows the piston motion to automatically adapt itself to the combustion of the fuel, in contradistinction to the rule hitherto observed that other hand, favorable conditions are also obmass, and in Germany m1. 1:, ms.

the combustion has to be adapted to the isbe ton motion by regulatin the su pl of el. My novel method can furtherhe l mproved in such manner that a far higher relation of compression and expansion and, in consequence thereof, far higher combustion pressures can be obtained than is economically possible in c'rank engines. Owing to this possibility, the fuel can be utilized thermically to a far hi her degree, inasmuch as now, owing to the fact that no crank gearing is present, a far-reaching expansion can be carried through without any considerable mechanical friction losses.

I have found it articularly useful to apply the new mthe to an englne provided m a manner well known per se with two oppositelymoving free-flying masses, for instance two oppositely movin pistons. Owing to the balance of masses, I t us obtain high piston speeds and an extraordinarily great proportion of strokes together wit a diminution of the loss of heat byway of the injurious surface of the clearance whereby the thermic efiiciency is further improved. On the tained during the compression as regards the keeping low of the heat losses. For the samereason the ignition temperature is reached with articular security so that also the starting of the engine and the use of heavy fuel is considerably facilitated.

I have further rovided for keeping low the heat losses and the combustion of ubri-' cant by providing means whereby the flying mass is quickl brought to the highest possible velocity. cans are further provided by which the returnstroke is retardated in proportion to the workin stroke, thereby leavmg the cylinder time or the distribution of heat. Means ,are also rovided which allow the use of any kind of uel injection, and this also during and after the piston has passed through the inner dead centre position. arrangement of the latter kind may consist in an ener y accumulator which is char ed by the wor ng iston motion and is disc arged at the end 0 the stroke in order to actuate the injecting device. The energy accumulator can be ofa static kind (for instance a piston loaded with com ressed air or a spring) or of a dynamic kin (a moving mass).

In the drawings afiixed to this specification and forming part thereof an engine embodyin my invention is illustrated diagrammatlca y byway of example,

Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section, wliile Fig. 2 is an elevation showing a detail drawn to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the working cylinder and 2 and 3 are two working pistons moving in opposite directions. Although I have shown an engine with two pistons moving in opposite directions, I wish it to be understood that my invention is by no means limited to this particular type of engine and can as well be embodied in an engine having only a single working piston. 4 and 5 are compressor pistons coupled with the pistons 2 and 3, respectively and (S and 7 are the compressor cylinders acted upon by the pistons 4 and 5. With the working piston 3 there is furthermore coupled a scavenging pump piston 8 reciprocating in the scavenging pump cylinder 9. At one end of the working cylinder 1 there are arranged scavenging ports 11 governed by working piston 2, at the other end exhaust ports 12 governed by working piston 3. The scavenging ports 11 are surrounded by a large container 20 serving for collecting the scavengin air and into which scavenging air is supplied through pipe 21 from the pump 8, 9.

In order to secure an exact workingjof the flying masses in opposite directions, each mass is provided with a pair of racks 14 and 15, respectively, these racks being connected to one of the masses by a cross head 17, to the other by means of scavenging piston 8.

The racks mesh in pairs with pinions 16- mounted on the engine bed, whereby the movements of the two flying masses are made positively dependent one upon the other.

The engine is supplied with liquid fuel by a fuel pump comprising a piston 22 acted upon by a spring 23 and resting on a rock lever 24 having one end mounted in a link 25 and carrying at the other end a roller 26.

' On one of the racks 14 there is mounted a cam 27 in such position that lever 24 is lifted together with the pump piston 22 as soonas the working pistons 2 and 3 have almost reached their inner dead centre position. The pump condition.

feeds fuel through pipe 30 to the injection nozzle 10, through which it is injected into the combustion chamber in finely atomized The end 25 of lever 24 is not mounted immovably, but in a displaceable block 28, whose position can be adjusted by hand or by means of a regulation device acting upon a screw spindle 29. By this means the effective stroke of the pump can be varied together with the quantity of fuel injected, according to the output of the engine required ineach indi vidual case. The direct injection of fuel, which is governed exclusively by the pump, can also be replaced by in'ection with the aid of compressed air. In this latter case the can1 2 7, instead of actengine is as folworking pistons illustrated in the drawings the working cylinder 1 isalready traversed by scavenging air so as to be filled with fresh air. In the dead spaces of the two compressors compressed air is still left, which now expands again, thereby pushing the two pistons 2, 3 back, whereby these latter close the ports 11 and 12 and thereafter compress the air enclosed between them beyond the ignition temperature of the fuel, utilizing therein the expansion of the air in the compressor cylinders. If compressors are used which work with an average of pressure in the suction pipe, such as so-called air circulating plants, the suction pipe pressure can also be made to return the pistons. As soon as the pistons 2 and 3 have come near their innermost dead centre position, the roller 26 will roll upwards on cam 27, thereby causing fuel to be injected which is ignited in contact with the highly compressed air in the cylinder, whereby the working stroke of the pistons is caused to take place. The supply of fuel still continueswhen the pistons 2, 3 already begin to move away from each other, as, in consequence of the elastic pressure lasting on the compressed fuel, the duration of the injection is longer than'the feed motion of the pump. As at the beginning of the stroke the resistance in the compressor cylinders is still small, almost the total power stored 1n the gases of combustion is first converted into acceleration of masses, so that the pistons very quickly assume a high velocity, which is accompanied by a quick expansion and consequently also a quick reduction of pressure and temperature of the hot gases. In this outwards movement of the working pistons also cam 27 is withdrawn underneath roller 26, lever 24 is free to oscillate in downward direction and pump piston 22 executes its suction stroke so that fresh fuel is made available for the next succeeding working stroke of the motor. The counter pressure in the compressor cylinders acts towards retardating the movement of pistons 2 and 3 and near the end of its stroke, piston 3 uncovers the exhaust ports 12, and shortly thereafter piston 2 uncovers the scavenging ports 11. In the meantime, pump 8 has refilled the scavenging air container 20 and scavenging can be effected anew, and so on. In an engine of this kind the work of compression as well as the work of returning the piston can also be madeito act towards one side or be done from one side; in such a case transmission of power must take place across the balancing gear.

Fig.2 illustrates an arrangement of the cam cooperating with the fuel pump, wherebya generation of power for operating the injection device is rendered possible, even while the working pistons are at rest and are starting on their working strokes. To this end the cam body 27 is displaoeably disposed on the rack 14 and is connected with the latter only by a s ring 32. In view of the great retardation w ich the working piston and with it the rack 14 undergo upon reachin their inner dead centre position, the mass 0 the cam body 27 will retainits velocity and will therefore continue moving in the old direction, at the same time placing the spring 32 under tension, until this tenslon balances the mass power of the cam. As a rule, this will be the case only after the direction of moving of the piston and the rack connected therewith has been reverted. This arrangement therefore offers the possibility of operating the injection device ump and injection valve) beyond the dead centre position of the working piston and to thus obtain a longer duration of the injection beyond the beginning of the ex ansion stroke.

I wish it to be an erstood that I do not" desire to be limited to'jthe exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person. skilled in the art.

I claim I l 1. The 'method of working free-flyingpiston engines, comprising causing the charge of air in the working cylinder to be compressed at-leastso far that it assumes the ignition temperature of the fuel, and thereafter introducing in positively timed relation in the cycle the lion-ignited fuel into the air thus I cylinder.

compressed within the c linder near the inner dead centre position 0 the piston so as to instantly burn each particle of fuel as it enters the cylinder.

2. The method of working free-flying piston engines, comprising causing the charge of air in the working cylinder to be compressed far beyond the i of the fuel, and therea ter introducing in positively timed relation in the cycle the nonignited fuel into the air thuscompressed within the cylinder near the inner dead centre position of the piston so as to instantly burn each particle of fuel as it enters the 3. The method of working free-flyingpiston engines, comprising causing the charge of air in the working cylinder to be compressed to at least 50 atm. and thereafter introducing in positively timed relation in the cycle the non-i nited fuel into the air thus compressed within the cylinder near the inner dead centre portion of the piston so as to instantly burn each .particle of fuel as it enters the cylinder.

4. Internal combustion engine/ com rising in combination, a working cylinder, a reeflying piston arranged for reciprocation in ition temperature said cylinder, means comprising an accumulator of energy operatively connected with said piston for com ressing the air in said cylinder so as to heat it to the ignition temperature of the fuel, and means under positive control of said piston for injecting fuel into said air near the inner dead centreposition of saidiston.

5. nternal combustion engine comprising in" combination, a working cylinder, a pair of free-flying pistons arranged in said cylinder for reciprocation in opposite directions, means comprising an accumulator of energy operatively connected with said istons for compressing the air in said cylin er so as to heat it to the ignition temperature of the fuel and means under osi'tive control of said piston for in'ecting uel into said air near the inner dea centre position of said pistons. .6.- Internal combustion en 'n'e comprisin in combination, a working cy index? a pair 0 free-flying pistons arranged in sai' cylinder.

for reciprocationin. opposite directions, an exhaust port near one and a scavenging port near the otherend of said cylinder and adapted to be governed each by one of said pistons,

means comprising an accumulator of energy operatively connected, with said istons for compressing the air in said cylin er so as to heat it to the ignition temperature of the fuel and means an positive control of said piston for meeting fuel into said air near the inner dea centre position of said pistons.

7. Internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a working cylinder, a freepliston arranged for reciprocation in said cy 'nder, means comprising an accumulator of energy operatively connected with said iston for compressing the air in said cylin er so as to heat it to the ignition temerature of the fuel, means for in'ecting fuel into said air and means connect with a reciprocating part of the engine for actuating said fuel injecting means near the inner dead wntre position of said piston. A

8. Internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a working cylinder, a freeflying piston arranged for reciprocation in said cylinder, means comprising an accumulator of energy operatively con'nected'with said piston for com reming the air in said cylinder so as to heat it to the ignition tem ture of the fuel, means for injectin fue into said air, means connected with a reciprocatin part of the engine forv actuatin said fue injecting means near the inner ead centre position of said piston and means for allow mg an injection of fuel to take place when said working piston starts for its working stroke.

9. Internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a workingcylinder, a freeflying piston arranged for reciprocation in said cylinder, means comprising an accumulator of energy operatively connected with 10. Internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a working cylinder, a freeflying iston arranged for reciprocation in said cy nder, means comprising an accumulator of energy operatively connected with said piston for compressing the air in said cylinder so as to heat it to the ignition tern.- perature of. the fuel, means for injecting fuel into said air and a mass resiliently connected with a reciprocating part of the engine for actuating said fuel in1ecting means near the inner dead centre position of said'piston.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HUGO JUNKERS. 

